By Stacey Goldberg ’12

Alumni and college officials concur: the next president of Lafayette College must be able to boost the school’s image.

That was one conclusion at the first of several alumni forums Lafayette’s Board of Trustees is conducting as part of its presidential search.

At the September 13 meeting in NYC, alumni and trustees agreed the next president should make the Lafayette name more recognizable. Board Chair Ed Ahart ’69 said he would like to “continue down the path that we’re already on.” That path refers to President Daniel H. Weiss’s strategic plan, instituted in 2007.

National recognition will “make [a student’s] degree and your degree more valuable,” he said to the alumni-filled audience.

Audience members nodded in approval as Ahart said that tackling alcohol concerns should be on everyone’s mind while searching for the next president. The words “demonstrated leader,” “vision” and “charisma” were underscored throughout the meeting.

Board members noted several key investments that could move Lafayette up the rankings: better communications, increased participation in national competitions, better fundraising, visual campus improvements, more faculty and more financial aid.

But several alumni felt the college could take different routes
“I care a lot about the college but I’m very, very angry at you [Ahart] and you [MacDonald] and the trustees and at Dan Weiss because I think we need to make some real changes,” Ed McNally ‘65 said in the open Q&A session.

McNally commented on the changes to the engineering program, saying it could cramp the quality of education that engineering students receive. He also mentioned athletics, which he believes are underfunded. “If I were a significant shareholder, I’d fire the board,” McNally said.

Both Ahart and Vice Chair of the search committee and trustee Elisabeth MacDonald ‘81 lauded McNally for his passion but disagreed.

“These Presidential Search Meetings are open meetings—for alums, parents, students, faculty, staff, friends, etc.—and we encourage anyone who is passionate about Lafayette to attend,” MacDonald said in an email. “While we might have a difference of opinion with Ed on some of the topics he raised, we respect his right to view the state of the College through a different lens.”

When asked to comment, Weiss said in an email, “I think there are far worthier topics for your newspaper than the rantings of an individual alumnus.”

McNally, along with other alumni, have vented online in public forums like LinkedIn and “The Lafayette Sports Forum” for years, discussing engineering and athletics specifically.

Several other alumni at the meeting raised their hands to speak about the school’s Greek culture and the impact it could have on alumni giving. Greek alums said that, without a house to come back to, they no longer felt connected to the school like the used to. This could weaken donations and hurt the school’s reputation.

As the event closed, one alumnus asked if someone like Weiss were an eligible candidate, whether he would be chosen. Ahart stepped around the question, saying how pleased he was with the many changes that have been made since Weiss’s inauguration.

Stacey Goldberg, a recent graduate, contributed this article to The Lafayette.